What makes this clinic different from other pediatrics clinics?
Here, you have as much time as you need with your child's doctor. Have you ever spent time preparing for your child's doctor visit, thinking of all the things you need to tell them, making sure you get it straight, and trying your best to be efficient and organized? Then you arrive at the bustling office, wait a while, and finally see your frenzied doctor, who you know has several other patients waiting. You rush through your list and sometimes apologize for all the questions you have. Hopefully, your doctor musters up a brilliant plan from their tired mind, your child gets some labs or vaccines or a referral, and you are on your way. That night, if your doctor is awesome, they will sit down with your chart, fill in the gaps, locate any areas of your care that are missing, and think a little more about your visit and the plan. The reality, though, is that your doctor probably saw 20-30 patients that day, and you can only hope you received your doctor's best care. This is the reality of the insurance-driven medical model - rushed care by overwhelmed and exhausted doctors. This was my reality for a lot of my career. You will not find that here!
Why don't you take insurance?
My clinic is a direct primary care (DPC) clinic. DPC is based on the idea of adequate time between the doctor and patient to forge relationships, which results in care that is more personal, less expensive, and less invasive. In order to make this work, you have to eliminate the middle man of insurance companies in routine primary care.
Do we still need insurance?
Yes. I aim to provide the majority of the care you will need, but medical conditions and illnesses can arise that require specialty care, hospitalization, or surgery. Direct Primary Care is not intended to take the place of health insurance.
What is the difference between direct primary care and concierge medicine?
The term "concierge medicine" generally is used to describe practices that charge a monthly fee for access to doctor or the practice, but these practices also bill your insurance and charge you a co-pay. Direct primary care clinics charge one monthly fee that covers all of your healthcare with that practice. Direct primary care practices in Oregon (also called retainer practices) cannot file insurance claims or bill insurance.
What do we get for our membership fee?
All well-child visits as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (newborn, 2 weeks, 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 9 months, 12 months, 15 months, 18 months, 24 months, and annually thereafter)
All acute visits
All chronic-care visits
All follow-up visits
All recommended screening tests
24/7 access to me by phone/email/text
Coordination with other healthcare providers
Limited in-office testing
Limited in-office procedures
Laboratory testing at cost
All acute visits
All chronic-care visits
All follow-up visits
All recommended screening tests
24/7 access to me by phone/email/text
Coordination with other healthcare providers
Limited in-office testing
Limited in-office procedures
Laboratory testing at cost
MY CHILD IS HEALTHY AND ONLY GOES TO THE DOCTOR ONCE A YEAR FOR A PHYSICAL. WHY SHOULD I PAY A MONTHLY FEE?
Healthcare today is comprehensive and focuses on much more than just the physical health of children. I am here for you to address the social, emotional, educational and even spiritual needs of your child from birth to college. Because you never know when the unexpected will present itself, you as a parent need an ongoing relationship with a pediatrician. As your child reaches adolescence, that relationship needs to transition to the child and their doctor, gradually, as we prepare for the eventual moment when they leave for college. In the direct primary care model, it is very unlikely that you will only have contact with me once a year. You will have the comfort of knowing that you and your child can contact me at any time for most any reason because you, your child, and I are members or a team. Healthcare is personal, and it should feel that way.
Think of it like your car. You have car insurance for big catastrophes like accidents, but you pay for the regular maintenance, like oil changes and new tires, out of pocket. DPC healthcare works the same way.
Think of it like your car. You have car insurance for big catastrophes like accidents, but you pay for the regular maintenance, like oil changes and new tires, out of pocket. DPC healthcare works the same way.
WHAT IF I WANT TO PAY FOR EACH VISIT SEPARATELY OR USE MY INSURANCE?
A lot of parents have been asking me for this option, so I have included an option to pay for each visit based on the length of the visit. If you want to seek reimbursement from your insurance, I will provide you with documentation to do that. To find out how to get reimbursed by your insurance, check the company website.
do you take medicare or OHP?
I have opted out of Medicare and do not bill OHP.
Why don't you contract with health insurance?
To be "in network" with a health insurance company, a physician has to enter into a contract with that company. If I were a network provider, health insurance companies would be able to review my patients' records, require that I report information about my patients and my practice to them, and determine what I charge for my services. The additional work created by being in network, and by the additional requirements of billing Medicare and Medicaid (OHP), would require that I hire additional staff. I want to keep my clinic small and personal. I only want to hire additional staff if it benefits my patients, not because it benefits health insurance companies.
Is your clinic LGBTQ friendly?
Absolutely. I welcome families of all kinds in my practice, and I am an advocate for those marginalized because of sexual orientation or gender variation. I have done additional training in the care of gay, lesbian, gender expansive, and other sexual minority children and adolescents. I am also registered as an LGBT-friendly healthcare provider with GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBT Equality.
I SEE THAT YOU ARE A LACTATION CONSULTANT. DO YOU TAKE CARE OF BABIES THAT ARE NOT BREASTFEEDING?
The decision of how to feed an infant is a personal one and is often based on many different factors, including mother's health history, mother's previous experience with breastfeeding, infant's health history and anatomy, milk supply, mother's return to work plans, and personal preference among others. For parents who do choose to breastfeed, there are often impediments that make it difficult to establish and maintain breastfeeding. My goal is support all families in meeting their infant feeding goals, whether they want to breastfeed for 2 years, 2 months, or not at all.
DO YOU make HOUSE CALLS?
House calls are available within 10 miles of the clinic for patients with limited mobility (i.e., technology dependent, parent with limited mobility, newborn multiples). Contact me for more information.
WHAT IS YOUR POLICY REGARDING VACCINATIONS?
Vaccines are one of the greatest public health achievements. Like the vast majority of doctors, I strongly encourage full immunization of all my patients according to the recommended schedule. These days, there is a lot of information about vaccines available in books and on the internet, and it can be very difficult to figure out what information to follow. It doesn't help that most doctors don't have much time to answer questions and address concerns. With longer appointments, we will have time to review all recommendations and answer any questions you may have. It is my responsibility as a pediatrician to address all recommended screenings and immunizations at every visit. If you know that you do not plan to vaccinate your child and will never consider vaccinating your child, I am not the right pediatrician for you.
Do you do sports physicals?
Evaluation for clearance for sports is part of all of my well-child visits. Any of my established patients who have had a well child visit within the previous nine months can most likely get their sports form completed without an additional visit, depending on the child's medical history and the sport.
I do not offer sports physicals without annual well child visits. Performing annual visits solely for the purpose of clearing a child for sports participation provides inadequate medical care. Children miss out on important developmental and educational evaluations, age-appropriate screenings, and update of vaccines. Adolescents miss out on screening for important health and social risk factors. Parents, however, often do not realize that their child has gotten an incomplete evaluation and think their child does not need to see a doctor again. This does not help the parent or the child.
I do not offer sports physicals without annual well child visits. Performing annual visits solely for the purpose of clearing a child for sports participation provides inadequate medical care. Children miss out on important developmental and educational evaluations, age-appropriate screenings, and update of vaccines. Adolescents miss out on screening for important health and social risk factors. Parents, however, often do not realize that their child has gotten an incomplete evaluation and think their child does not need to see a doctor again. This does not help the parent or the child.